Lock-rod for cards.



No. 63850I7r Patented Nov. 28, |899. D. E. HUNTER.

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Patented Nov. 28, |899. D. E. HUNTER.

LOCK ROD FOR CARDS.

(Application led Nov` 21, 189B.)

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` UNITED STATES PAmnvTl Crimen.

DAVID E. HUNTER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCK-ROD FOR CARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 638,017, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed November 21., 1898. Serial No. 696.989. (No model To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAvID E. HUNTER, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, 'State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lock-Rods for Cards, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention is an improved lock-rod for card-index records or other ling devices of like nature and is intended to overcomethe objections to those lock-rods heretofore in use, which when cards are to be added to or removed from the record have to be drawn from the cabinet and become a source of annoyance and inconvenience to the user.

The lock-rod described herein overcomes the objectionable features of the old rod by being non-removable from the index record or cabinet, means being provided in connection therewith for causing the lock-rod to disappear into a sheath or channel, where it is free from any contact with the cards or other papers, the latter being then capable of being removed or replaced at will. The device also contemplates a novel combined switch and stop so arranged that when it is desired to lock the rods into a drawer the rod can be removed from the sheath or channel in which it maylhave been previously resting until it is stopped by the switch, and then being upwardly inclined by the operator the switch will guide it into locking contact with the cards by the passage of the rod through the holes provided in usual manner in the lower edges of the cards or other papers.

The details of construction of my invention will be pointed out and more fully understood in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention, and the latter will be more s particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a central longi` tudinal section taken through any usual cabinet or drawer provided with my invention.4

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lock-rod in locking position, Fig. l showing the same in non-locking position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the parts of my inven- Fig. `t is a transverse vertion in top plan.

tical section showing the switch-plate and adjacent parts in rear elevation. Figs. Sand 6 are enlarged elevations of details.

The box or cabinet A may be of any usual or preferred kind and will preferably have the usual inclined stationary block B secured thereto on the inner side of the forward end of the box, as shown in the figures. A suitable cavity is provided at'the forward end of the box, herein shown as formed by cutting away the block B at Z9 and the end of the box A at a to receive the various parts of my invention. Vithin the cavity b I secure a plate C, inwardly bent, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to present a flange c, extending longitudinally of the box and centrally of the recess a, said flange c having a switch formed therein by means of two divergent slots c c2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The lock-rod or holding-barD, which enters the cards, is best seen inFig. 3, where it appears that instead of being simply a straight `rod or plunger, as is usual, it has a central slot el, said slot and rod being herein shown as made by bending a heavy wire back on itself at d, so as to present two adjacent parallel members d2 d3, which are connected together at their outer end, being herein shown as welded at d3 and screw-threaded at d4, being held firmly in a retaining-plug d5, provided with a shoulder at d6, against which bears a loose thimble 017. The thimble d7 is shown as externally threaded `to receive a knob or handle-piece cls, between which and a shoulder Z9 of the thiinble Z7 is clamped immovably an escutcheon plate or cover d10. Preferably, also, I provide a retarding-spring s between the handle or knob and a stationary part, as the plug d5, for preventing the parts from relatively moving too easily. At its inner end the thimble (Z7 has a stop or lug C312 arranged to cooperate with stops dw, d1, and dlof the escutcheon- D, which is shown as screwed or otherwise secured at the front of the box A. The stops (113 (115 are shown as adjacent an upper opening dland lower opening d, connected by an open neck dla, formed in the escutcheon, for the necessary movements of the locking-rod, the opening di? having a notch orrecess dw at its lower side, for a purpose to be explained.

The bottom of the box is provided with a IOO sheath or channel a, extending throughout the length of the box,and terminating at the end thereof at d? to receive the rod D when the latter is not in locking position, and the block B has an opening or passage-way b above the recess a to receive the rod when the latter is in locking position, the movable block or abutment B', such as is usually provided in this class of apparatus, being provided with a slightly-larger aperturel)2 in alinement with the opening h', and the rear end of the box has a corresponding opening a3, in which the extreme end of the rod D may rest when the cards are locked thereby in the box or cabinet.

The bottom of the box has a slideway t4 at one side of the channel a' to receive the usual retaining-plate of the movable block B.

My object is to provide a convenient and inexpensive rod which shall be non-removable from the box and yet will readily permit the locking or unlocking of the cards, as may be required, it also being an object of my invention to provide a rod which shall be capable of use preferably with the general run of index-cards as commonly found on the market, such cards usually having simply a central perforation therethrough adjacent the lower edge, this perforation usually being in the form of a circular hole and at other times in the form of different-shaped notches. Accordingly it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the details of the construction above explained, inasmuch as these may be widely varied without depart ing from the main principles and general construction of my new device.

In operation the user of the lock-rod after having inserted or removed from the box such cards as desired simply takes hold of the handle or knob d8 and pulls the rod straight out. The rod, however, cannot be removed from the box; but the moment that the end d `Ithereof reaches the switch in the flange o it rides automatically up the incline of the slot c2 until it reaches the beginning of the opposite incline of the slot c', whereupon the operator slightly lifts it on his finger as a fulcrum and pushes the rod inwardly along the incline of the slot c' and through the way b', which directs the rod accurately through the apertures of the cards which may be in the box and through the passage b2 of the movable block until the rod `rests in the end aperture a3, which effectually holds the rod frombeing lifted. Having inserted the rod as stated, the knob or handle is rotated to the right a half-turn until the lug (112 engages the stop dlg, which brings the guard d10 into its lowermost position, covering the opening d in the escutcheon, while at the same time the shoulder of the lug d12 locks it against direct removal. Now if the operator wishes to release the cards the knob or handle is rotated to the left a half-turn until the lug dw strikes the stop d, in which position the rod may be'withdrawn until it is automatically deflected by the switch into the sheath ct', whereupon the rod is pushed into the box, being housed and concealed within the sheath or channel, the

recess du receiving the lug e112 and retaining the same in position for instant removal for again locking the'oards.

1 If desired, one of the lugs CX15 may be omitted, and then the vknob can be locked in the escutcheon by turning it as before described, although it will be preferable not to lock the rod in its lower position when it is out of operative relation to the cards.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A card receptacle or cabinet provided with two passages or ways for a lock-rod extending longitudinally of the receptacle, one way being in alinement with the cards to be locked, and the other way being outside of the space to be occupied by the cards and being formed to receive the lock-rod bodily, in combination with a lock-rod arranged to en` ter either one and leave the other of said ways as required, substantially as described.

2; A card receptacle or cabinet provided with two passages for a lock-rod, one passage being in alinement with the cards to be locked, in combination with a lock-rod arranged to enter and move in one or the other of said passages as required, and means for automatically switching said lock-rod from one to the other of its passages, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a card-receptacle, of a longitudinally-movable locking rod or member adapted to lock the cards in said receptacle, said rod being arranged to move out of engagement with the cards by being pulled from the rear end of the receptacle to the forward end thereof, and means preventing the removal of the rod from the receptacle when the rod is pulled out to disengage the cards, substantially as described.

4. A card receptacle adapted to contain cards havin glocking-apertures, and a lockingrod for locking the cards within said receptacle, said locking-rod being longitudinally movable from the cards and non-removable from the receptacle, the longitudinal movement of the rod unlocking the cards and automatically shifting the rod in a direction away from the body of the cards, substantially as described.

5.' In a device ofthe kind described, a cardreceptacle and a locking-rod, said receptacle having a switch provided with diverging in clined ways, and said rod having a portion to engage said ways and shift the rod into locking or unlocking position, substantially as described. n

6. A card-receptacle and a locking-rod there-Y for, said rod having a longitudinal slot and said receptacle being provided with means operating through said slot and permanently retaining the rod attached to the receptacle, substantially as described.

7. A card-receptacle having an escutcheon with adjacent apertures for the lock-rod, combined with a lock-rod movable from one to the other of said apertures and having a knob or handle, provided With a lug to enter said apertures and engage behind the escutcheon, the latter having one or more stops against which the lug may abut for limiting the movement of said lug, substantially as described.

8. A card-receptacle and a lock-rod therefor, said receptacle having upper and lower ways for the rod and being provided with upper and lower connected openings at its for- Ward end to receive the rod according to the position of the latter in the receptacle, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the kind described, a lockrod having a shoulder at its outer end and a knob or handle abutting against said shoulder and rotatable on the rod, and retarding means between said rod and knob normally holding the same against relative movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DAVID E. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, JOHN C. EDWARDS. 

